Blog

Young people should be more involved in their own education.

They should be offered the time and opportunities to experiment, explore and experience in a safe and supportive environment.

If a young person has an idea of what they want to do, is it fair that we make them wait until they are 16 before we start to support them to make this happen?

We as educators should embrace and inspire young people’s ambition at an embryonic stage and by nurturing their aspirations by assisting them to not just reach their potential but to surpass it.
We should encourage them to chase their dreams from the very first day they dare to dream them. Society judges young people at such an early age to how successful they will or can be, could any of us honestly say given second chance you wouldn’t have like to find your path a little earlier?
Education should equip young people with the tools they need to catch their dreams, not demoralise them or stifle their talents. I often wonder if young people were taught the emotional skills they need to function effectively in the real world there wouldn’t be as many people on NHS waiting lists for counsellors, anti depressants and substance dependancy.

With our partners we are actively challenging ineffective and none relevant education, we are working hard to develop alternative programmes that enable young people to work towards the career that they want and learning the skills they need to do it well.
Hopefully the new specialist diplomas will start the ball rolling in terms of educational reform, but until then, we will keep supporting our charities in offering  need led and solution focussed youth provisions.